"We must be ready to dare all for our country. For history does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid. We must acquire proficiency in defense and display stamina in purpose." - President Eisenhower, First Inaugural Address

Army Navy

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Once Upon a Time There Were Democrats I Liked

Once upon a time there were Democrats for whom I had some respect, even admiration. Once upon a time, the Democrats were not crazed by their loss of power and there were some good people like Scoop Jackson and Hubert Humphrey and even Adlai Stevenson. Once we could admire the feisty Harry Truman. Once upon a time there were people who condemned the reprehensible (Republican) Senator Joe McCarthy and they were right to do so.

Once upon a time, John F. Kennedy promised to the world that "We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

Once we had Democrats who supported our troops in wartime.

Those were the days.

Now we have Senator Boxer challenging the Ohio vote (and attempting to disenfranchise the majority of voters in the Ohio elections). Now we have Senator Ted ("Chappaquiddick") Kennedy, who was tossed out of Harvard for cheating, raising moral issues with former Texas Supreme Court justice who worked his way up in the world in a manner that Mr. Kennedy will never comprehend. Now we have Senator Leahy who is such an insufferable ass that he provoked Vice-president Cheney into uttering an obscenity.

Rough politics is not new in America as anyone who has read history knows.

On May 22, 1856, the "world's greatest deliberative body" became a combat zone. In one of the most dramatic and deeply ominous moments in the Senate's entire history, a member of the House of Representatives entered the Senate chamber and savagely beat a senator into unconsciousness.

That Representative, Preston Brooks of Massachusetts, used a cane. Now the bludgeoning is done with awful verbal sniping played directly to the television camera. It's not necessarily an improvement.

Update: David over at Ohio Voter pretty much nails the Dems on their "red letter day."

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EagleSpeak

About EagleSpeak

The main focus of this blog is maritime security. Other matters may appear. I am a retired attorney and a retired Navy Reserve Captain (Surface Warfare). Opinions expressed herein are my own. Sometimes I have the experience to back them up. Your opinions may vary. Don't panic. Feel free to disagree, that's what free speech is all about.
Nothing contained herein should be confused as me giving legal advice to anyone. If you are confused, welcome to the club. All mistakes herein are my fault. I have sufficient academic credentials to be dangerous to myself and to others.
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Under the header: BM2 Nicholas Ferris signals an AH-64 Apache helicopter from the U.S. Army 4-501st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion during deck landing qualifications aboard USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43). (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Adam Austin/Released)